This invention relates to a water-powered brush. Water is used for rotating the brush through a water-driven wheel coupled to the brush by a positive gear train. Exhausted water is also supplied to the brush for rinsing purposes.
The instant apparatus was developed specifically for rotating circular brushes used for scrubbing and cleaning surfaces, such as on automobiles, or along the hulls of boats. It is designed to be used in a submerged condition for cleaning of boat hull surfaces below the water line. By relying totally upon water for power, it is an ecologically acceptable driving unit in lakes, streams or other bodies of water subject to environmental restrictions that might be violated when using other hydraulic systems.
The apparatus basically comprises a rotatable wheel that is driven by a jet of water under pressure. The wheel is externally coupled to a circular brush through a meshing drive gear train. The internal water-powered wheel is spun at a high rotational velocity, and is maintained clear of water by surrounding wall surfaces and an arcuate guard. A deflector within the wheel enclosure diverts the spent water to an exit opening in hydraulic communication with an aperture at the center of the rotating brush.